ScriptfoxHow many words in a 8-minute speech?
A 8-minute speech is about 1,200 words at an average speaking pace of 150 words a minute: around 1,000 words if you speak slowly (125 a minute) and up to 1,400 if you speak fast (175).
Target 8:00 is about 1,200 words at this pace.
Conversational: most YouTube talking heads
Trims or stretches it to about 1,200 words, in your voice. Free, three a day.
ScriptFox scrolls as you speak, so you keep your eyes on the camera. Free, no card.
What fits in 8 minutes
Eight minutes is about 1,200 words. It is the typical length of a YouTube talking-head video, and the point where YouTube allows mid-roll ads, which is why so many videos run just past it.
Four sections of two minutes, or five of 90 seconds, each with a first sentence that could stand as a chapter title. Put the strongest material second, not last: viewers who make it to the halfway point mostly stay.
Words at every pace
Slow is 125 words a minute, average 150, fast 175. This length is marked; the others link to their own pages.
| Length | Slow (125 wpm) | Average (150 wpm) | Fast (175 wpm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds0:30 | 63 | 75 | 88 |
| 1 minute1:00 | 125 | 150 | 175 |
| 2 minutes2:00 | 250 | 300 | 350 |
| 3 minutes3:00 | 375 | 450 | 525 |
| 5 minutes5:00 | 625 | 750 | 875 |
| 8 minutes8:00 | 1,000 | 1,200 | 1,400 |
| 10 minutes10:00 | 1,250 | 1,500 | 1,750 |
| 15 minutes15:00 | 1,875 | 2,250 | 2,625 |
| 20 minutes20:00 | 2,500 | 3,000 | 3,500 |
| 30 minutes30:00 | 3,750 | 4,500 | 5,250 |
Frequently asked questions
How many words is an eight-minute speech?
About 1,200 words at an average pace of 150 words a minute; between 1,000 spoken slowly and 1,400 spoken fast.
How many words is an eight-minute YouTube video?
About 1,200 for a talking-head video. If you cut in B-roll or screen recordings, the spoken script is shorter, often 900 to 1,000 words, because the footage carries part of the time.
Why are so many YouTube videos just over eight minutes?
YouTube lets a creator place mid-roll ads on videos eight minutes or longer, so many are written to clear that mark. An eight-minute video is about 1,200 spoken words; a script of 1,250 words gives a little room.
Written. Timed. Now read it to the camera.
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